Method of making composite photographs



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April 15, 1930.

R. J. POMEROY METHOD O F MAKING COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPHS Filed July 14,1926 /V WHITE NEG/17775 izq 4' afl/fz 0,050-

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Patentecl\ Apr. 1930- Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- noY .I. PoIIEnoY,oF Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNon or ONE-HALF To FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKYCGRIORATION, OF LOS POBATION .0F NEW' VYOB-K vnIE'rIIoIJ oFMAKINGcoMI'osI'rE PIIoToGRAIIIs Application mea my 14, 192s. serial No.122,562.

This invention has to do with methods of i making composite photographs,or with what is more commonly known -as a method 'of double exposure;the general object of such a method being to obtain upon a singlephotograph or film two or more images taken at different times orplaces. In motion picture photography such double exposure methods areused for the purpose of apparently plac-v ing an action in a scene orbefore a background foreign .to. the actual action.

In most, if not all, the present schemes of. double exposure, aplurality of films mustbe used,it being a more or less common practiceto take the action on onefilm and the back-P ground on'another film,then print the two original films onto another on which the composite isobtained. It is one of the objects of this invention to provide amethodof obtain ing composite photographs or double exposure effectswith the use of only one film or negative; and the invention also hasfurther objects in the direction of simplicity, accuracy, ease ofmanipulation, etc., all as will best be understood from a considerationof the following detailed specification. v In this specification I setout the general method which is the subject matter of this applicationand which typifies and illustrates the invention, and also set outvarious modifications as to procedure and as to substances which maybeused in the method. Certain specific modifications are included in thebroad subject matter here, but are the specific subject matter of acompanion application filed on even date herewith, Serial Number122,503. A i

I shall explain the method as for making a composite picture to show anaction in a scene or before a background not actually associated withthe action; but it will b well understood that the method can be use forobtaining composite photographs-of any desired subject. y y

Reference is had throughout the specification to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 shows the negative after exposure to theaction;

Fig. 2 shows the exposed negative after developing Fig. 3 shows'thenegative after bleaching; gig. 4 shows the bleached negative intensi-Fig. 5 shows the intensified negative after redeveloping Fig. 6 showsthe negative after exposure to the background scene y Fig. 7 shows thenegative after developing;

Fig. 8 shows the composite negative resulting after bathing in fixingsolution;

Fiof. 9 shows another negative after expos sure Io action; y

V Fig. 10 shows the exposed negative after developing;

Fig. 11 shows the negative after being coated with pigmented casein;

Fig. 12 shows the negative after bleaching;

ANGEIi'Es, CALIFORNIA, A con- Fig.. 13 shows the negative with thecasein 'Washedaway except the -hardened portion over the action image;

against a black or non-actinic ground so that the exposed negative willthen'carry a latent image 10 of the action in a ground unaffected bylight (see Fig. 1).

Next this film is developed in the usual manner but is not fixed at thistime. then shows the image 11 of the action in a clear ground; but theclear ground and the unreduced silver salts in the image area are SeeFig. 2, wherein shading of still actinic.

The film image does not represent color but black and" white tones.

Next, the film is bleached with a Water solution of quinones,` potassiumbromide and acetic acid. A solution suitable for this puri pose willcontain by weight: water 96.65 per'- l cent; quinones .55 percent;potassium bromide 2.8 percent. A slight amount of acetic acid may beused. This bleach has no effect on the `unexposed and undevelopedportions of the film, but transforms the developed parts of the lm to areddish brown color, the

metallic silver being probably transformed to silver Oxy-bromide. SeeFig. 5, Where the shading represents color.

Then the image on the film isintenslfied by treating `the film with awater solution of potassium or sodium carbonate or hydroxide. Thissolution again has no effect on the unexposed portions but intensifiesthe image to a` deep brown black (see Fig. 4) Next the film isre-developed with any non-staining develo er, such asamidol(diamidophenol hy droclhloride) or glycin(para-oxy-phenylglycine). Such developers will again metallize thesilver but will not stain the film (see Fig. 5). Instead of intensifyinafter bleaching the film may be treated wit a desensitizer that will actselectively on the bleached area. For instance, pheno-safranine, sodiumybichromate,or pina-kryptol green, may be used for that purpose. Thesedesensitizers appear to owe their selective action upon the film to theprior bleaching treatment.

Next the film with its redeveloped image vis washed and dried, ready forthe secondexposure. At this stage of the procedure the lm has in it aredeveloped image. The' original exposure has :preferably been a slightover-exposure; and the intensification of the image after bleaching issufficient when the film is re-exposed to hold back further light actionthroughout the area of the @first images. y It will be understood thatthe intensification products-are still present in the film at this stageof the procedure, surrounding the redevelopment products. The initialbleaching has transformed the develo ed metallic silver to a silvercompound an is then intensified or spread by the intensificationtreatment.

With thelilm in this condition, the second exposure is then made, suchexposure being typically to a scene or background. As will now beunderstood, this second exposure does not affect the previously exposedportions, but only the previously unexposed portions. The negative nowcarries a latent image 12 of the background scene (see Fig. 6).

Finally the film is again developed, andv then finally fixed' (Figs. 7and 8). In thissecond development a developer is used as before, thedeveloper having no effecton the intensification products, but bringingout the background image 13. A suitable fixer for use in the process ishypo. The fixing operation not only removes the unexposed silver salts,but also removes all the intensification product .to the point where thefirst image appears normal, thus leaving only the two normal images.

' In case a desensitizer is used' instead of intensifying, thevsubsequent steps of the process are the same, the desensitizer beingremoved in the hypo.

The intensification products obtained in this method are a good mordantfor certain basic dyes, and the action image can be dyed before thesecond exposureso that the action image will show up in color in thefinal And this, as will readily be understood, can be done withoutaffecting parts of the film where no intensification products arepresent. Although various basic dyes may be used to obtain differentcolors, I may mention typically the following: fuchsine, safranine orchrysoidin.

In a variation of the method as here described, the film is firstexposed to the action before the black ground and is then developed, asbefore described (Figs. 9` and 10). Then next the film is coated with' athinlayer of casein or other colloid'carrying an opaque or non-actinicpigment which is neutral to the chemicals used inthe method. The pigandthe casein where there is present me tallic silver. l.A quinone bleach,such as described before or a copper bromide bleach, is suitable forthis purpose, but any bleach that will harden the casein locally may beused. Such a bleach transforms `the silver and hardens the gelatine andthe casein by action with the chemical by-products of the silverbleaching. This hardened casein carrying its opaque or non-actinicpigment then becomes the protector of the previously exposed portionsduring the next exposure; and thus performs generally the function thatis performed in the first described method by the intensificationproduct. The lm then appears as in Fig. 12. y

Next the film is treated with dilute alkaline solution such as sodium orpotassium hydroxide solution which washes ofi' the unaffected orunhardened parts ofthe casein; so that the previously unexposed portionsof the film are then uncovered, while the previ'- ously exposed portionsare left covered with the pigmented casein (see Fig. 13).

Then the film is washed and dried as before,

vand re-exposed as before (Fig. 14) and then is finally developedwithanyy suitable developer as amidol or glycin (see Fig. 15).

This final development not only re-develops Then the film is finallyfixed with any suitable fixing solution las hypo; the pigmented caseinis finally removed from the initial image by a stronger wash in alkalinesolution (see Fig. 16). y

With proper control of the several operations involved in the methodsherein de- `-scribed, the two iinal images are made to match each othervery accurately, so that the action image then appears as if. it werenaturally in the background imagef- Proper control for these purposes'is not diflicult, being concerned mainly with the obtainance of thecorrect image intensities and the correct amount of bleaching and spreadof the intensification products or of the hardening of the casein, sothat the intensification products or the casein Will correspond asclosely as possible with the outlines of the original action image.

I claim:

1. The herein described method of produc-l s ing composite photographs,that includes first exposing a limited portion of a fresh actinicsurface to obtain thereon aofirst image, de-f veloping said first image,bleaching and in tensifying the developed image, redeveloping saidimage, exposing other portions of the surface, developing the wholesurface with a developer thatwill not furtherl develop thev products ofintensification, and Iinallyflxing.

ing composite photographs, that includes first exposinga limited portionof a fresh actinic surface to obtain thereon a rst image', de-

veloping said first ima e, the first exposure being over normal to otain a dense image, bleaching the developed image with a quinone bleachto transform the reduced. silver, i11- tensifying the bleached imagewith an alkali hydrate to obtain intensifcationproducts immune tofurther light action, redevelopingthe image and carrying suchredevelopment to the point of obtaining the normal image, leav-` ing theremainder of the intensification productsunaii'ected, exposing otherportions of the surface, developin the whole surface, and finally fixingwith a 'ng solution that removes the intensificationI roducts as Well asthe undeveloped actiic si' ver salts.

In witness that I clain the foregoingV I' have hereunto subscribed myname this 30th day of June 1926.

' ROY J. POMEROY.

The'herein described method of produc.

